Vehicle mounted travel surface and weather condition monitoring system

ABSTRACT

A system and apparatus for detecting and evaluating surface conditions on a road surface and atmospheric conditions simultaneously from a vehicle is disclosed. The system comprises a sensor for detecting the presence of deposited material on a road surface, a detector for determining one or more characteristics of the deposited material such as freezing temperature, process means for converting a detected signal and display means for displaying the condition of the road surface, and a sensor for detecting falling precipitation. An embodiment of the present invention includes a remote sensing apparatus which utilizes electromagnetic radiation to sense actual surface material conditions, temperatures, and composition and local atmospheric conditions at the vehicle as it is moving over a travel surface. This information is then processed through a computer in order to determine those additional steps necessary to apply additional materials to the road surface in order to minimize hazardous driving conditions.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/953,379, filed on Sep. 14, 2001, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/337,984, filed on Jun. 22, 1999,which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/286,809, filed on Apr. 6, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,904, which isa continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/879,921, filedJun. 20, 1997, which also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplications Serial Nos. 60/020,237, filed Jun. 21, 1996, and60/031,036, filed Nov. 18, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,296, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/783,556,filed on Jan. 14, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,051, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/660,232, filed Jun.7, 1996 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,193, which also claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Serial Nos. 60/000,040, filedJun. 8, 1995, and 60/004,941, filed on Oct. 6, 1995, each of theabove-identified related applications and patents are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety as though fully set forthherein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates generally to the field of vehicle travelsurface condition monitoring and control systems, and more particularlyto a vehicle mounted and/or stationary positioned system for determiningcharacteristics of surface materials related to adverse drivingconditions which includes a vehicular mounted weather monitoringsubsystem for measuring weather conditions at the vehicle location.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Stationary weather stations have weather vanes and wind velocitymeters to provide wind direction and speed information (velocity), andsensors to provide relative humidity, air temperature, and precipitationamounts and rates, among other parameters, to local and remotelocations. Some aircraft also have been equipped with similar equipmentto monitor conditions in thunderstorms and hurricanes. However, suchinstrumentation has commercially not been installed on motor vehicles.

[0006] Road condition service vehicles such as snow plow trucks andsurface conditioning vehicles which deposit materials such as sand andchemicals such as salt to travel surfaces depending on the current orpredicted road surface conditions do not carry weather analysisequipment on board. Proper surface conditioning materials are optimallyapplied during the early stages of adverse weather conditions as well asthroughout the adverse weather condition. However, the optimaldistribution of materials and compositions change dramatically as thestorm progresses through a locality. Currently there is no real timeweather sensing apparatus available that can be vehicle mounted whichdetermines weather conditions such as wind speed and direction,temperature, humidity, precipitation events, water content and rates ofdeposition, and barometric pressure.

[0007] A number of attempts have been made to sense the conditions ofroadways, aircraft runways, and other surfaces for vehicular traffic,during changing adverse weather conditions For example, it is known toplace conductivity, temperature and other sensors either in the roadsurface or adjacent the road to monitor the temperature of the roadsurface, the subsurface temperature and/or monitor whether there is iceforming on the surface. Atmospheric sensors may also be providedadjacent the road. This information can then be fed to a centrallocation for control and dispatch of trucks to apply salt or sand orother deicing mixtures. At airports these types of warning systems areused to inform maintenance crews that the runways need to be treated oralert the staff that deicing procedures need to be implemented. Someconventional systems have a supply of chemicals and pumps beside theroadway or runway to automatically spray the road when triggered by asensor.

[0008] There is also a need for such a warning system on road vehiclessuch as cars, buses and trucks to detect pending adverse conditions.However, available mobile systems are limited to basic moisturedetection and temperature monitoring systems. Some examples of suchsystems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,492,952 and 4,678,056. Oneparticular system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,476, employs aninfrared sensor which is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle andsends a signal to a microprocessor which then can display thetemperature of the road surface. These systems are simplistic and do nottell the operator the critical information needed under all conditions,such as, what is the composition of and at what temperature will theparticular material actually on the road surface freeze? Therefore thereis a need for an on board material sensing apparatus and system fordetermining when an actual liquid on a road surface will freeze in viewof current weather conditions at the vehicle location and alerting theoperator to such adverse driving situations before they actually occurso that the operator can adjust material spreading techniques andstrategies accordingly.

[0009] There is also a need for a mobile mounted sensing apparatus andsystem for use by road crews to evaluate current local weatherconditions and determine and evaluate existing materials, if any, on aroad surface in order to determine the optimumal amount, type and timingof additional material to be applied to the surface in order to reducethe current and future hazardous driving conditions.

[0010] There is also a need for an apparatus and system for predicting,displaying and sometimes controlling the distribution of travel surfaceconditioning materials available on board local road crew trucks basedon current and predicted local weather conditions at the travel surfacelocation. Such a system is unavailable today.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The system in accordance with the present invention addresses theabove described needs. It is thus an object of the present invention toprovide a unique multipurpose system which includes a vehicle mountedsurface monitoring portion and/or a weather condition monitoringportion. In addition, the system preferably includes a fixed or mobilesystem for receiving and/or measuring weather conditions at vehiclelocations and predicting and forecasting future travel surfaceconditions to provide recommendations for and verification of surfaceconditioning activities and results.

[0012] The surface monitoring portion may include a multipurpose sensormounting platform accommodating a variety of sensors that enables thetemporary use of materials such as surface water and road conditioningmaterials actually encountered on a road surface to determine thecondition of the road surface. It is another object of the invention toprovide a system for remotely detecting the actual materials and/orcharacteristics of materials on a roadway and determining acharacteristic such as friction coefficients, chemical composition orthe actual freezing temperature of a material on a road surfaceregardless of the makeup of the material or depth of the material.

[0013] It is a still further object of the present invention to providea reliable display of information to the vehicle operator of actual andpending conditions of the road surface. It is a still further object ofthe invention to provide an apparatus for sensing actual road conditionsthat can function automatically or manually and which permits automaticor manual control of distribution of on board conditioning materials.

[0014] It is a still further object of the present invention to providea system for remote sensing and evaluation of material present on aroadway surface which includes a means for extracting sufficientinformation to determine the characteristics of the composition of thesurface material and utilizing user input information as well as localweather conditions at the vehicle location, as well as at fixedlocations, to calculate the amount of additional material, if any, andwhat type, to be applied to the road surface to mitigate the developmentof future adverse conditions. This may involve utilization of look uptables, of historical data for the location, continual updating of suchtables with actual data from the location, and utilization of algorithmsfor predicting future conditions at the site.

[0015] Throughout this specification, the term “vehicle” is meantinclusively to refer to any moving vehicle, whether it be a land vehiclesuch as a salt truck or an airborne or orbital vehicle such as anairplane or satellite. The sensing portion of the system of the presentinvention may be adapted for mounting and operation on any such vehicle.The vehicle referred to with respect to carrying and distributingsurface conditioning materials typically is a truck.

[0016] One embodiment of the apparatus for sensing surface materialcondition in accordance with the present invention comprises acollection means for receiving material discharged, for example, from avehicle wheel in contact with a roadway surface, at least one sensingmeans coupled to the collection means for detecting a characteristic ofthe received material such as friction coefficients, temperature,conductivity, and chemical concentrations and producing a correspondingsignal, processing means for converting the corresponding signal, anddisplay means connected to the processing means for providing anindication of surface conditions based on the material characteristics.

[0017] The collection means may include a modified mud flap locatedimmediately behind a vehicle wheel so that a portion of any surfacematerial that is picked up by the vehicle wheel and thrown toward theflap may be collected. An alternative collection means is a scooplocated in proximity of the wheel or adjacent the road surface tocollect deposited surface material. Another alternative is a separatesensor wheel contacting the vehicle travel surface which has sensorsmounted thereon or therein for analyzing the deposited surfacematerials.

[0018] Another embodiment of the surface monitoring portion of theinvention does not require a collection means, but instead, remotelysenses directly the surface material characteristics such astemperature, conductivity, friction coefficients or chemicalconcentrations. This embodiment utilizes a sensor or series of sensorslocated on the undercarriage of the vehicle at a preferably fixeddistance from the road surface which senses the surface temperature andat least one other unique surface material characteristic so that thespecific material or materials can be identified, the compositiondetermined, and freezing temperatures determined. This embodiment mayalso include a subsurface radar or other electromagnetic radiationtransceiver directed at the ground for determining road surfacetemperature when the roadway is ice or snow covered and determining thetemperature of the underlying ground beneath the vehicle travel surface.

[0019] Another embodiment of the apparatus has a sensor mud flap whichincludes a channel leading into a detection chamber where liquid runofffrom the wheel flap is periodically collected and then frozen. Thefreeze point is sensed along with the temperature of the incomingmaterial. The freeze point may be determined as the collected materialchanges from liquid to solid or as the material changes from solid toliquid during thawing of a sample. This freeze point information isdisplayed to the operator of the vehicle. Once the freeze point isdetermined, the frozen material is fully thawed and discharged from thechamber so that a new sample may be collected and analyzed.

[0020] Another embodiment of the surface material monitoring portion ofthe present invention includes an endless belt of liquid absorbingmaterial mounted to the flap. The endless belt collects and absorbsliquid collected by the flap, transports it to a collector whichextracts the liquid from the belt and directs it to the sensor meanswhich also can be a detection chamber where the chamber contents isfrozen in order to sense the freeze point.

[0021] The sensing means may be a single sensor or a combination ofseveral sensors to detect particular parameters of interest. The roadconditions are primarily affected by changes in temperature, wind, dewpoint, and material concentrations. Therefore the sensing means mayinclude resistance temperature detectors, thermocouple, infraredtemperature sensors, conductivity detectors, close proximityelectromagnetic radiation (EMR) transmitters and detectors ortransceivers, friction measurement devices, and other material analysissystems such as a spectrographic analysis system such as a massspectrometer or laser induced breakdown spectrometer. In the lattercase, the mass spectrometer or other material analysis device wouldpreferably be mounted inside the vehicle, with a sample conveying meanssuch as a belt or pump line directing the sample from the flap or othercollection platform such as a scoop, etc. into the analysis device,e.g., the vaporizing chamber for the spectrometer. Alternatively, anultra wide band Doppler radar or any other suitable electromagneticradiation (EMR) emission and detection technique as well as LaserInduced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) looking directly at the materialon the road surface may be used to remotely ascertain chemical andphysical characteristics of the material on the roadway surface. Asanother alternative, several of the above sensing devices could bedirected toward materials still on the travel surface, on a moving belt,moving past the sensor, or flying through the air.

[0022] The processing means may include a microprocessor for convertingsensed signals to display signals, store potential material data,determining material identity and pertinent material characteristics,and includes power and signal transmission means. This processing meanscan be located in several locations, including in the vehicle or remotefrom the vehicle The display means may be a panel with indicators of thefreeze point, the ambient temperature, and other meteorologicalcharacteristics as well as surface material characteristics, andconnections to more detailed signal analysis equipment such as chartrecorders, tape recording devices, or other processing equipment. Thedisplay means may also include suggested remediation actions, alarms andinputs to automatic functions such as activating anti-lock brakesystems, or transfers from two wheel to all-wheel drive systems, oractivating chemical spreader control functions.

[0023] The weather monitoring portion of the system in accordance withthe present invention preferably includes a microcomputer connected tovarious inputs which may include a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver to provide vehicle location, altitude, direction of motion, andspeed, a vehicle speedometer input to provide primary or backup speedinput, a directional (upwardly, horizontally, or any appropriatelydirected short range electromagnetic radiation transceiver for remotelysensing the presence of precipitation and determining its type andmoisture content, a wind velocity sensor, a barometric pressure sensorto provide pressure and altitude information, a relative humiditysensor, and an air temperature sensor. These sensors are each preferablyconnected to a processor for determining the characteristic or connecteddirectly to a vehicle mounted computer. The surface monitoring portionand weather monitoring portion or portions preferably feed the computerand database in the overall system to generate commands to provideoptimum dispensation of materials to the vehicle travel surface. Theseand other objects, features, and advantages of the system and apparatusof the present invention will become more apparent from a reading of thefollowing detailed description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a sensor platform inaccordance with a first embodiment of the vehicle travel surfacematerial sensing portion of the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the first embodiment of the vehicletravel surface material sensing portion of the system in accordance withthe invention.

[0026]FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle showing potentiallocations for the sensor platform in accordance with the presentinvention.

[0027]FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a second embodiment of a sensorplatform for the travel surface material monitoring portion of thepresent invention.

[0028]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of thetravel surface material monitoring portion of the present invention.

[0029]FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of the second embodiment of thetravel surface material monitoring portion of the present invention.

[0030]FIG. 7 is front view of the display panel in the second embodimentof the surface monitoring portion of the present invention.

[0031]FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of an alternative collectionapparatus of a vehicle travel surface monitoring portion of the systemin accordance with the present invention.

[0032]FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a remote sensing embodiment of thevehicle travel surface monitoring portion of the system in accordancewith the present invention.

[0033]FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a remote sensing embodiment of theweather monitoring portion of the system in accordance with the presentinvention which may be mounted on a vehicle or at a stationary location.

[0034]FIGS. 11A and 11B are an overall block diagram of the system inaccordance with the present invention.

[0035] FIGS. 12A-E are overall software block diagrams of the softwaredecision flow block in accordance with the present invention.

[0036]FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the automatic system operation blockin accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Overall Monitoring System

[0038] The system in accordance with the present invention isillustrated with reference to one embodiment in block diagram form inFIG. 11. The system 300 includes a vehicle travel surface monitoringportion 302 such as one of the systems described immediately below,preferably system 200, as is shown in FIG. 9, combined with a weathermonitoring portion 304. The weather monitoring portion 304 is describedin more detail following the description of the travel surfacemonitoring portion 302. Portions 302 and 304 have outputs which arecombined in a central processor 306 which could utilize a database 308of historical data and parametric data to determine real time potentialfor road surface material reaching the freeze point due to the effectsof, among others, wind chill, moisture type and moisture content,chemical composition, surface and subsurface temperature and moistureaccumulation. The computer and database are then utilized to determineoptimum amounts of available conditioning materials present on thevehicle 10 and needed on the surface to achieve the desired results,e.g., achieve a desired level of service, or subsequently available viaanother vehicle, to apply to the vehicle travel surface depending onactual road conditions, local weather, and historical experience dataand displays these recommendations and/or automatically controlsmaterial application to the vehicle travel surface.

[0039] Vehicle Travel Surface Monitoring Portion

[0040] First Embodiment

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, a first embodiment of theapparatus of the invention includes a platform 12 which is typicallyvertically mounted behind a vehicle wheel 14 for the surface materialmonitoring portion if the present invention. in this application, theplatform 12 replaces and also operates as a conventional mud flap on thevehicle 10. A similar platform for the atmospheric monitoring portion ofthe present invention may be mounted in various positions as shown onthe upper portions of the vehicle 10 in FIG. 3.

[0042] As stated above, one of the objects of this portion of theinvention is to provide a unique multipurpose mounting platform 12, suchas is shown in FIG. 1, that enables the temporary use of materials 16 orperiodic examination of materials which are typically discharged from avehicle wheel/road surface interface to measure certain characteristicsof the materials that have left a roadway surface (surface materials),and to also determine certain characteristics of the surface itself. Thesurface is most commonly a road, aircraft runway surface, or farm field.Throughout this specification, use of the terms surface, road, roadway,farm field, or runway are interchangeable and are used to generally meanany surface upon which a vehicle is operated or is operable.

[0043] The manipulation of the characteristics of surface materials, forinstance freezing the surface material, is one efficient and accurateway to obtain information on the surface conditions as well as determinethe conditions of loose surface material.

[0044] The characteristics to be measured may include but are notlimited to:

[0045] 1. Material volumetric buildup, such as snow, ice, liquidsolution, i.e., depth of material on the surface.

[0046] 2. Determination of the constituents of the chemical solutionsand mixtures present, and characteristics of the solutions and mixtures,such as percent of a particular chemical in solution, the freezing point(temperature) of the total solution or mixture, and the amount orpercentage of a component in the solution and/or mixture.

[0047] 3. Temperatures, both ambient and of the material solution ormixture sensed.

[0048] 4. Friction characteristics.

[0049] The methodology of determining the characteristics describedabove varies with the characteristic being tested. For example, thegeneral type of material buildup may be measured via resistivity and/orconductivity in conjunction with temperature. The chemical compositionof the material on the road surface may be determined by spectrographictechniques, or by evaluation of EMR reflections. The percent ofchemical(s) in a solution that has built up on a road surface may bedetermined by measuring the resistivity and/or conductivity of thecollected material covering the sensor or by evaluation of EMRreflections. The freeze point of the solution may be determined by asoftware comparison, such as a table look-up, when the materialcomponents are known or determined by analysis when the materialcomponents are not known. The ambient temperature is measured via athermometer or thermocouple which could be remote from the platform. Thetemperature of the solution/material buildup is measured by any knownappropriate sensor means such as a thermometer, thermocouple or infraredsensor preferably mounted on the platform 12.

[0050] Alternatively, the freeze point of a solution can actually bedetermined by actually freezing the collected solution. The freeze pointis determined by monitoring a property of the solution that indicatesthat the freezing temperature is reached, such as changes in electricalconductivity. This could eliminate the need for a look-up table.

[0051] The sensor platform 12 can be made of a thermoplastic material,or sensor flap material such as urethanes or teflon, and whichpreferably has the following characteristics:

[0052] impact/abrasion resistant;

[0053] low surface friction to maintain slipperiness to sheet thedischarged material off of flap and sensor surface(s);

[0054] pliable and flexible temperature range of plus 150°-minus 40° F.degrees without melting or becoming brittle. Operating temperature ofeighty degrees Fahrenheit (80° F.) to minus forty degrees Fahrenheit(−40° F.); and

[0055] capable of using all sides for mounting of sensors and to beformed in such a way as to make sure that sensed material will bedirected to the various surfaces as needed.

[0056] The sensor platform or flap 12, shown in FIG. 1, illustrates avariety of sensors mounted on or within it to illustrate the variousmounting configurations for the purpose of making measurements orsensing certain characteristics of the material that has left the roadsurface as a result of turbulence or surface discharge behind thevehicle wheel.

[0057] The platform 12 is constructed to carry or have imbedded thereinvarious sensors 18, 20, 22, and/or 24. These sensors, depending on theirfunction, may protrude outside of or be recessed within the finishedflap 12 so that they will be exposed to, or not exposed to, the materialto be sensed, or will have access to the material to be sensed. As analternative, the various sensors could be mounted with appropriatehardware onto an existing piece of flap material to achieve the sameeffect.

[0058] For example, sensors 18 and 20 may be a conductivity detectorand/or a resistance temperature detector (RTD) or a thermocouple (TC)which senses the temperature of the material on the surface of the flap12 and the presence of conductive solutions in the material such aspotassium acetate, CaCl₂, NaCl, KCl or MgCl₂ in order to determine thetype of material buildup. The lead wires from the conductivity celland/or the RTD or TC are either embedded in or mounted behind the flap12 for protection from abrasion and moisture.

[0059] Sensor 22 may be a sensor such as an RTD or TC mounted within anaperture 26 in the flap 12. The aperture 26 permits the passing air flowbehind the wheel 14 to blow clear and thus ensure that new materialcontinuously passes the sensor location. Other sensor locations in theaperture 26 are shown in dashed lines. The aperture 26 may also be usedto direct flow of material past a sensor such as an EMR device.

[0060] The sensor 22A may alternatively be embedded in the flap 12 withthe tip projecting to the front surface of the flap 12 to accuratelymeasure the captured material temperature. Sensor 24 may be a RTD or TCmounted either behind the flap 12 or embedded within it so as to berepresentative of the ambient temperature of the flap 12. Alternativesensor locations may be incorporated into the sides or top of the flap12 as indicated by the “S” thereon.

[0061] The flap 12 is preferably mechanically attached to the vehicle10. The sensor flap 12 is designed to temporarily “catch” the dischargematerial from the vehicle's wheel 14. Alternatively, a separate sensorwheel 14A may be provided as shown in FIG. 3, for producing materialdischarge to be collected by a flap 12A which carries the sensors formaking the measurements concerning the surface that the vehicle isriding over as well as detecting any buildup that might be on thesurface—even after the buildup has left the surface. Sensor wheel 14Amay also include embedded sensors thereon replacing the need for a flap12A.

[0062] The incident spray material must not cling to the flap or plugany pass-through holes as new samples must periodically bemeasured/sensed. Therefore, proper material selection or cleansingmethodology such as air flow is an important consideration in this firstembodiment.

[0063] The sensors are connected to an in-cab display and control panel28 via a cable 30 as shown in FIG. 2. The control panel 28 is capable ofcontrolling, communicating with, and powering the sensors as well asinterpreting sensor data and preferably includes display/input deviceswhich can display information, accept outside input, store commands, andretrieve data. Alarm and control functions are also displayed on thispanel. For example, interpreted data could include a freeze pointprediction or alert notice for the measured solution and/or material.

[0064] Second Embodiment

[0065] A second embodiment of the surface condition sensing system inaccordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 4-8. The system inaccordance with the second embodiment is specifically directed todetermining the freezing temperature of a surface material. It includesan apparatus 38 that collects material from the road surface into achamber, freezes it, determines the freezing temperature, communicatesthe data appropriately to a display/control console, and then thaws thematerial, empties the chamber, and prepares for the next measurementcycle. The apparatus 38 is mounted in a location on the platform 12 asdisclosed above.

[0066] The apparatus 38 associated with this system is seen in a sideview in FIG. 4. The apparatus 38 comprises a support structure 40 madeof any suitable material, for instance a laminate of a thermoplasticmaterial and aluminum, and a capture and measurement portion 42supported below and from the support structure 40. The capture portion42 comprises an elongated chamber 44 having an open top end 46 and anopen bottom end 48 generally having an elongated oval cross section. Theopen top end 46 is for receiving any surface material that collectsabove the top end 46 on the support structure 40.

[0067] The top end 46 and bottom end 48 of the chamber 44 are preferablymade of a flexible material, such as plastic or rubber, which ispreferably able to be selectively opened and pinched closed to allowmaterial to flow in and out as desired. Selective opening and closingvalve mechanisms 50 are mounted to the apparatus at the appropriatepositions adjacent the upper and lower ends 46 and 48. When the bottomend 48 is closed and the top end 46 is open, collected material buildsup in the chamber 44. When both ends are closed, the collected materialis isolated. When both ends are open, the collected material isdischarged from the lower end 48.

[0068] Each of the opening and closing mechanisms 50 includes a pinchvalve 52 and a solenoid 54. The top and bottom ends 46, 48 of thechamber 44 are selectively opened and closed by pinch-valves 52. Whenthe upper solenoid 54 is energized, it extends a shaft 55 outward andpushes a first surface 56, engaging a flexible portion 58 of the chamber44 adjacent the upper open end 46, from one side and drives the flexibleportion 58 towards the other side, which is in contact with a stationarysecond surface 60. The open top end 46 of the chamber is thus pinchedclosed between the first and second surfaces 56 and 60, causing apreferably impermeable seal to be formed at the top end of the chamber.The bottom end 48 of the chamber 44 is closed in a similar manner usinga second solenoid operated pinch valve 52.

[0069] The chamber 44 has a central portion 62 of a predetermined lengthand width between the selective opening and closing mechanisms 50. Thisportion 62 preferably has an elongated oval cross section and is made ofa conductive material, such as copper. The central portion 62 of thechamber 44 comprising a conductive material is thermally coupled toopposing plates of a thermoelectric heater/cooler 64 which controls thetemperature of the central conductive chamber 44 using, for example, thewell known Peltier effect. Although not shown in this Figure, it is tobe understood that one or more temperature sensors are located in thechamber so as to sense the temperature of the chamber contents in orderto determine the freeze temperature of the sample.

[0070] A heat sink 66 surrounds the chamber 44, preferably on all sides,along the length of the chamber 44 to facilitate the heating and coolingprocess as a result of the operation of the thermo-electricheater/cooler 64 and to preclude ice buildup on the exterior of thechamber 44. A liquid exiting aperture 68 is formed in the chamber 44above the first surface 56 to allow any surface material draining intothe liquid capture gap 70 to exit the chamber 44 when the flexibleportion 58 of the chamber 44 is closed during operation of thethermoelectric heater/cooler 64. The draining liquid flows down over theheat sinks 66, preferably thereby beneficially affecting the heattransfer capabilities of the heat sinks 66.

[0071] Operation

[0072] The operation of this second apparatus may be either automatic ormanual. In automatic operation, the apparatus operates continuously orat a predetermined cycle frequency as determined by the user, or it maybe GPS/GIS triggered. In manual mode, the user actuates the apparatuseach time road surface condition information is desired. This secondembodiment of the road surface sensing system is used to collect surfacematerial and accurately determine the freezing point of such materialregardless of material composition.

[0073] The apparatus is positioned on the vehicle such that it isexposed to the spray of the surface material caused by the motion of thevehicle, as is schematically shown in FIG. 3. The apparatus may bepositioned behind front or rear wheels, or may optionally include aseparate wheel or scoop device to pick up material from the roadsurface, or, when the apparatus is used to analyze precipitation, ascoop device may be mounted on the upper portions of the vehicle 10, assuggested in FIG. 3, and directed upward to catch precipitation duringvehicle motion.

[0074] Referring now to the perspective view of the apparatus 42 in FIG.5, when a measurement is to be taken, the bottom end 48 of the chamber44 is closed. The surface material spray contacts the support structure40, runs down the support structure 40 under the influence of gravityinto the liquid capture gap 70. The surface material collects in thechamber 44 either for a programmable predetermined period of time,preferably about 5 to 10 seconds, or until the appropriate liquid levelis obtained, at which time the top end 46 is closed by-closure of theupper pinch valve 52 to preclude entry of material that couldcontaminate the sample during measurement.

[0075] When a sufficient amount of surface material is collected in thechamber 44 and the upper pinch valve 52 is closed and the thermoelectriccooler 64 is activated to freeze the collected surface material. Theelectrical conductivity of the collected surface material is monitoredin the chamber 44 during the cooling process to establish the freezingpoint of the surface material. This freezing point is communicatedappropriately to the processor and display console 72, shown in FIG. 7.

[0076] After the freezing point is determined, the thermo-electriccooler 64 is activated to heat the conductive chamber portion 62 to meltthe surface material. The bottom end 48 is then opened by de-energizingthe lower pinch valve 52 to allow the surface material to exit thechamber 44. The process can then be repeated to obtain a new reading.

[0077] More particularly, referring to FIG. 6, and to FIG. 7, automaticoperation of the apparatus in accordance with this embodiment of theinvention proceeds as follows for determination of freeze point bymeasuring the liquid to solid phase transition temperature. Aspreviously mentioned, the freeze point may also be determined by sensingthe solid to liquid phase transition during thaw. In this lattersituation, the sequence described below will be somewhat modified. Theuser places the automatic/manual selector switch 80 in the automaticposition. When the switch 80 is placed in the automatic position, asignal 82 is sent to close the bottom valve and a signal 84 is providedto de-energize the upper solenoid valve 52 so that collected materialmay flow into the chamber 44. The control system then pauses for apredetermined amount of time, such as ten seconds, in block 86. At theexpiration of this wait period, a signal 88 is sent to close the uppervalve 52 in order to isolate the sensing portion 62 of the chamber 44.Preferably, another programmable wait period 90 of a predeterminedlength of time is conducted after which the processor tests whether thecontents of the central portion 62 of the chamber 44 is conductive. Thistest of conductivity 92 is necessary in order to sense whether there issufficient material collected in the chamber. If the material collectedin the chamber is conductive, a signal 94 is sent to turn on thethermo-electric heater/cooler 64 in the cooling mode. Conductivity iscontinually monitored in block 96 to determine a significant change inconductivity, as the material in the central portion 62 of the chamber44 is cooled, which indicates that the freezing threshold has beenreached. This threshold is normally indicated by a substantial change inmagnitude of the conductivity signal. If the threshold of freezing isdetected in block 96, the processor then sends a signal 98 to turn onthe heater until it reaches a temperature substantially greater than thethreshold, for example, about 50° Fahrenheit. When this temperature isreached, a control signal 100 is sent to de-energize both upper andlower solenoid valves 52 for a programmable period of time sufficient topermit the collected material to drain from the chamber 44, for example,ten seconds. On the other hand, if, in block 96, no threshold crossingwas sensed, an abort action display message signal 102 is displayed andthe automatic process steps 80 through 96 are repeated.

[0078] Referring now to FIG. 7, the display console includes an on/offswitch 104, a start switch 106, a purge switch 108, and a display 110.Manual operation or automatic operation is selected by switch 80. Whenthe manual operation is selected, the purge switch 108 may be pressed bythe operator. This de-energizes both inlet and outlet valves 52,allowing any materials contained in the chamber 44 to be discharged. Thestart switch 106 is pressed and the automatic or manual control processshown in the flow chart in FIG. 6 is performed from block 82 throughblock 100. After the chamber temperature has reached 50° in block 100,the processor determines in block 112 whether switch 80 is in theautomatic or manual position. If in the manual position, a signal issent to leave both valves 52 open and await further manual instructions.If switch 80 is in the automatic position, however, the process isautomatically directed to block 82 in which the bottom valve 52 isclosed and the sample collection and evaluation process is repeated aprogrammable number of times.

[0079] Referring now to FIG. 8, the apparatus in accordance with thesecond embodiment may be modified to include a collection apparatus 120that incorporates an endless belt 122. In operation, the endless belt122 moves in the direction of the arrow 124. Road debris thrown up bythe vehicle moves and impinges on belt 122 in the direction shown byarrow 126. The lower pulley 128 is preferably either hydraulic motordriven or electrically driven. The upper pulley 130 is preferably springbiased away from the motor driven pulley 128 to maintain tension on thebelt 122. A collection hopper 132 is positioned below the motor drivenpulley 128 and discharges into the open upper end 46 of the collectionchamber 44 above described. A scraper 134 is positioned adjacent thefront facing portion of the belt 122 before the belt 122 enters thehopper 132 so that as it enters the hopper 132, leaves and other soliddebris may be scraped from the belt 122.

[0080] A pinch idler pulley 136 is mounted adjacent the motor drivenpulley 128. As the belt moves around the pulleys counterclockwise asshown in FIG. 8, liquid picked up from the road is “squeegeed” into thehopper 132 as the belt 122 passes between idler pulley 136 and drivenpulley 128. A spring-loaded clutch 138 may also be provided on the motordriven pulley so that the collection apparatus 120 does not operatewhile the central portion 62 of the collection chamber 44 is isolated.

[0081] Third Embodiment

[0082] A block diagram of a third embodiment of the vehicle travelsurface material sensing portion of the system in accordance with thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 9. This third embodiment is acompletely remote sensing apparatus which is mounted on the vehicle.This system 200 includes at least one electromagnetic radiationtransceiver 202 which preferably is an ultra-wide band (UWB) impulseradar. A very short electromagnetic impulse is propagated fromtransceiver 202 and echoes that reflect from the road surface 204 areevaluated. These reflected signals are sent to a depth processor 206, adensity processor 208, and at least a chemical composition processor210. The EMR reflected pulse or pulses may be utilized directly by thedepth processor 206 to determine the depth of any surface layer ofmaterial on the roadway. However, the density processor, and compositionprocessors 208 and 210 rely also on input from a database 212 todetermine, by comparison to peak height or phase shift of the reflectedsignal versus the incident signal, an output which is unique to aparticular chemical composition and density. Comparing these outputs tothe database content produces or can result in quantitative density andcomposition information which is, in turn, fed via lines 214 to computer216 along with depth information 218. This information is, in turnutilized by the computer 216 in conjunction with the database 212 todetermine the freeze point temperature of the particular composition ofthe material on the vehicle travel surface. The freeze pointdetermination result is then processed along with the depth 218information in the computer 216 to provide information necessary todetermine what additional chemicals, both type and amount, need to bedeposited on the road surface in order to minimize the hazardousconditions and provide the results on the display 220. In addition, thecomputer 216 may provide a direct output to a control device forautomatically dispensing the appropriate amounts of chemicals to theroad surface as the vehicle 10 drives along.

[0083] A temperature sensor such as an infrared transceiver 222 is alsomounted on the vehicle and is directed toward the road surface. Thetransceiver 222 provides an output to a road temperature processor 224which in turn also feeds an output to the computer 216 indicative of theactual surface temperature of the road or, if covering material such assnow or water are present, the actual temperature of the material on theroad surface.

[0084] The apparatus 200, in accordance with the third embodiment of thepresent invention, may be compactly designed for unitary installation inthe cab of a road maintenance vehicle, such as a salt truck, with thedisplay 220 and any input device such as a voice recognition device orkeyboard 226 integrated into the dashboard of the vehicle. The drivercan then input to the computer 216 desired deicing concentrations orother desired input information. This inputting may also be remotelytriggered automatically from a location remote from the vehicle or bythe vehicle arriving at a predetermined as evidenced by GPS/GIScoordinate data under software control. The computer 216 then cancompare the actual composition and status of the material actually onthe road and either display or automatically control the dispensing ofadditional chemicals to the road surface.

[0085] The temperature sensor, such as an infrared transceiver 222described above, measures only the temperature of whatever material ison the surface. It does not measure the roadway temperature unless thesurface is dry. Consequently, the apparatus 200 may also include atravel surface temperature sensor and/or a subsurface temperature sensor228 connected to a surface and subsurface temperature processor 230which, in turn, provides a surface and/or a subsurface temperaturesignal to the computer 216. The surface/subsurface sensor 228 may be ashort range ground penetrating radar transceiver unit which iscalibrated for determining road surface temperature subsurfacetemperature at a depth of preferably about 12-18 inches. This subsurfacetemperature information can then be used by the computer 216 to estimatethe heat capacity of the road bed and thus predict the rate of change ofsurface temperature for a given atmospheric set of conditions pluscalculate application rates for various surface conditioning materials,in particular, those materials which may be readily available on thevehicle or available on a different vehicle which may be expeditiouslyrerouted to the appropriate location.

[0086] Weather Monitoring Portion

[0087] A preferred embodiment of the weather monitoring portion 304 ofthe system 300 is shown in block diagram form in FIG. 10. The weathermonitoring portion 304 has a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver310 mounted in the vehicle 10. The GPS receiver 310 constantly monitorsa plurality of geo-synchronous orbiting satellite signals and canreceive typically 12 simultaneous position signals to accuratelytriangulate the vehicle's position at any moment and provide accuratecoordinates of the vehicle 10 to the computer as well as generate andprovide a velocity signal (both speed and direction) to the centralcomputer 306 and to an absolute wind speed and direction processor 312.

[0088] The wind speed and direction processor 312 also receives an inputfrom wind speed and direction sensor 314 which is preferably mounted inan exterior location on the vehicle 10 such as on the roof of the cab ofthe vehicle 10. The wind sensor 314 may be any suitable wind speed anddirection sensor, however, a Model 425 Ultrasonic Wind Sensor by HandarInternational of Arlington Va. is presently preferred. This wind sensor314 uses ultrasound to determine horizontal wind speed and directionbased on ultrasonic transit time between three spaced transducers spaced120° apart. This sensor is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No.5,343,744. The sensor 314 has both analog and digital outputs.

[0089] The wind speed and direction processor 312 essentially convertsthe vehicular mounted wind sensor output signal to a vector having bothmagnitude and direction, and then subtracts the vehicle motion vector(speed and direction) generated by the GPS receiver 310 to yieldabsolute wind speed and direction independent of the vehicle motion,i.e., absolute wind velocity. The absolute wind velocity signal is thenfed on line 316 from the wind speed and direction processor 312 to thecomputer 306 where it is utilized, for example, in conjunction with awind chill lookup table in the database 308 to determine a correctionfactor to be applied to the freeze point determination for the surfacematerial information as provided by the computer 216 described above.This may be necessary, for example, in those locations where the roadwaysurface may be subject to high winds. In addition, the historical dataprovided in the database 308 may be used to indicate to the centralcomputer 306 that the particular location, as determined by the GPSreceiver in conjunction with geographical information system data storedin the database 308, historically has required a greater or lesseramount of treatment than would be otherwise be indicated.

[0090] The weather monitoring portion 304 may be stationary or vehiclemounted and preferably also includes a pressure sensor 318 and pressureprocessor 319 for determining barometric pressure and altitude, an airtemperature sensor 320 and temperature processor 321, and an EMRtransceiver 322 which is preferably directable skyward or directabletoward any moisture source. The transceiver 322 preferably utilizes awide band short range radar or laser based range finder to determine thepresence or absence of precipitation near the vehicle 10. Thetransceiver 322 feeds a moisture quality processor 324 which determinesat least one characteristic of the sensed precipitation such as moisturecontent and precipitation rate. For example, the intensity ofreflections detected by the transceiver 322 provides an indication ofthe precipitation rate and/or moisture content. In addition, thetransceiver 322 also feeds a density processor 323. The output of thedensity processor 323 is connected with the computer 306.

[0091] The transceiver output is fed to the processor 324 where themagnitude and character of reflections are analyzed. By evaluating thecharacter of reflections received, the differential between theprecipitation state in the air (rain, snow, wet snow, dry snow, sleetetc.) and the freeze point of the precipitating water or ice orcombination, once it is deposited on the travel surface, can be moreaccurately determined. This information is then used by the computer 306to compensate for and optimize the computation of additional materialneeded to be deposited on the vehicle travel surface as calculated bythe surface condition monitoring portion 302.

[0092] A humidity sensor 332 may also be provided which is coupled to ahumidity processor 334. The humidity processor 334 also receives an airtemperature input from the air temperature sensor 320 which, whencombined with the humidity sensor output, determines the amount ofmoisture in the air that has not coalesced into precipitation anddetermine, in essence, the dewpoint of the air. The humidity processoroutput is fed to the computer 306 in order to predict the potential forincrease or decrease in the amount of or quality of the precipitationaccumulating on the travel surface.

[0093] Referring now to FIG. 11, the overall system 300 can utilize twoseparate computers 216 and 306 and databases 212 and 308 and/or acommunication link between the computers and databases, but only onecomputer and database is needed. These components preferablycommunicate, in this example, via bus 326. Either one of the computers216 or 306 may be programmed to operate or function as a master controland the other as a slave to the overall program of the master control.It should be understood that these computer and database functionsdescribed herein may just as easily be combined and provided by a singlecomputer and database to which each of the sensors and signal processorsconnects. Therefore, this combined configuration is to be understood andwill not be illustrated as it is essentially redundant to what hasalready been described.

[0094] The system 300 may preferably comprise two separate stand alonesystems, portion 302 consisting essentially of the surface materialcondition monitoring system 200 and the vehicle mounted weathermonitoring portion 304. As such, the weather monitoring portion 304 mayhave its own separate input/output devices such as a keyboard 328 and adisplay 330. Alternatively, keyboard 226 and display 220 may be utilizedto provide user control and display functions for both portions 302 and304 via bus 326. In addition, the system 300 may include a radiotransceiver 336 connected to the computer 306 to provide two way remotecommunications, reporting and control functions to and from a remotecommand center (not shown) or computer 216.

[0095] A software decision flow block diagram 400 of one embodiment ofthe overall system 300 in accordance with the present invention isprovided in FIGS. 12 and 13. It is to be understood that thisrepresentation is but one way of utilizing the information provided bythe surface material condition monitoring portion and the weathercondition monitoring portion. The system provides, via suitabledispensing controls or recommendations to the vehicle operator via thedisplay(s), an optimized treatment plan for the vehicle travel surfacesuch as a road or runway surface depending on actual field conditions.

[0096] Generally, the user may choose to set-up both the vehicle'ssensor system, including enabling the sensors and appointing alert setpoints, and the vehicle's automatic spreader and plow, or to proceed tothe systems operations block 505, where the system is either set forautomatic operations or is by-passed for manual use.

[0097] The user (driver) enters the vehicle and turns on the ignition.The system 300 powers up and begins the sequence in operation 404, asshown in FIG. 12A. After the system is started the user is queried inoperation 406 if entry into set-up mode is desired. If yes, controltransfers to operation 408 which requires the user to enter apre-programmed access code. When a code is entered, control thentransfers to operation 410 where the entire code is compared to apreviously stored code. If the user unsuccessfully enters the correctaccess code, control transfers via line 412 back to the query block 408.The user is given three tries at entering the proper access code. Afterthe third unsuccessful attempt to enter the proper access code, the useris automatically transferred to the operations block 505. It is alsocontemplated that a third failed attempt to enter the access code couldresult in the automatic shut down of the software decision flow blockand potentially the vehicle ignition is automatically turned off, untilit is re-set by the user's supervisor.

[0098] If the proper code is successfully entered, control transfers tooperation 414 where the user is queried as to whether the current accesscode should be changed. An affirmative answer transfers control tooperation 416 which requires the user to enter a new code. Once the newcode has been entered, control transfers back to operation 414,affording the user the opportunity to continue changing the new codeuntil the user is satisfied.

[0099] Upon entering the new code, or if the user declines to change theold code, the user is queried in operation 418 whether the sensorsystems associated with the vehicle need to be configured. A negativeresponse to query operation 418 will bypass the sensor system setupoperational blocks and transfer control via line 428, to operation 501to configure automatic spreader and plow control.

[0100] A positive response to query operation 418 transfers control tooperation 420 in FIG. 12B. Here, the user can configure or reconfigurethe sensor system. The available sensors may either be entered manuallyby the user, or the program can automatically scan the sensor hook-upsand communication links to determine the available system sensors 420.Once the available sensors are determined, a list of each sensor isdisplayed in block 422. The user is then queried in operation 424 as towhether to edit the available sensors. If the user does not wish to editthe available sensors, the program control transfers to operation 426 inFIG. 12C, where the user is asked whether any single alert triggerpoints are to be edited.

[0101] If the user does want to edit the available sensors in operation424 control transfers the user to the first of the enabling blockqueries 434. By following the programs progression, the user will beallowed to enable any available sensor installed on the vehicle.

[0102] Each sensor enable operation block corresponds to either one ofthe environmental monitoring sensors 430 or to one of the remote surfacecondition monitoring sensors 432. For example, environmental monitoringsystem sensors may include: air temperature sensor 434, wind speedsensor 436, wind direction sensor 438, air pressure sensor 440 and airhumidity sensor 442. The remote surface condition monitoring systemsensors may include: surface temperature sensor 444, EMR transceiver446, and GPS receiver 448.

[0103] The user simply scrolls through the sensors and indicates, bykeystroke, for example, which of the available sensors to activate.Enablement of a sensor may key enablement of another related sensor orassociated database or function. For example, enablement of the GPSreceiver 448 preferably triggers enablement of a separate enter GISroute number, or enable GIS database, query operation 450, wherein aparticular pre-programmed course, corresponding to the potential routethe vehicle could travel, might be requested. The course data could havebeen previously stored in GIS format in the system computer database 212or 308. Further, once the course has been chosen, the control system,reading position information from the GPS receiver, and relating this tothe GIS data, may adjust the fluid material spread width to the knownoptimal dimensions and automatically deposit desired material types andamounts at the appropriate locations as the vehicle travels past thelocation.

[0104] It is envisioned that the set of sensors shown in FIG. 12B is notan exclusive list of possible sensors, but rather serves as an exampleof one possible series of sensors that a user may wish to have theopportunity to enable.

[0105] Once the available sensors have been configured, controltransfers to operation 426 where the user is queried to edit theavailable single alert trigger or alert set points. See FIG. 12C. If theuser desires to edit the set points, control transfers sequentiallythrough operations 452-468 where the opportunity to edit each set pointis provided. Each trigger point block corresponds either to an enabledsensor, or to one to the inherent, and thus always enabled, triggerpoints that correspond to the apparatus. Possible trigger points thatare envisioned with this invention include: an air temperature alert setpoint 452, a wind speed alert set point 454, a wind direction alert setpoint 456, an air pressure alert set point 458, a humidity alert setpoint 460, a roadway surface temperature alert set point 462, a travelsurface friction value alert set point 464, a road salt concentrationalert set point 466 and a CMA concentration alert set point 468. If noediting of sensor set points is desired, control simply bypasses theseoperations, shown as line 413.

[0106] A user may wish to have alert set points triggered by aparticular combination of incoming data from multiple sensors.Accordingly, after each individual single sensor set point has beenentered in operations 452-468, the user is queried in operation 470whether any combination alert set points are desired. If one or morecombination set points is desired, operation 470 control transfers to afirst combination alert set point block 472 in which a set point will bedisplayed for the first combination alert. The user will be queried inoperation 474 as to whether the first combination alert set point shouldbe edited. If the user gives an affirmative answer to query block 474,the user will be requested, in operation 476, to enter parameter(sensor) one and then in operation 478, enter the set alert value forparameter one, control then transfers to operation 480 where parametertwo is identified and the set alert value for parameter two is inputtedin operation 482. Once both parameters and their set alert values havebeen entered, the program will display the results in block operation484. The user is queried whether to edit the displayed parametercombination in operation 486. An affirmative answer to this query willtransfer, via line 488, back to block 476, where the user may editparameter one by reentering the parameter one. The program will thenproceed again through blocks 478, 480, 482, 484 and 486 until the useris satisfied with the displayed combination. When the user is satisfiedwith the displayed results by no further editing in operation 486,control transfers to operation 490 where the combination is stored.

[0107] Practically an unlimited number of parameter combination sets andcorresponding alert set point values may be entered onto the system.Upon storing the first combination set point in operation 490 theprogram will display the next combination alert set point in operation492. The user is then queried in operation 494 as to whether thedisplayed combination alert set point should be edited. An affirmativeanswer will transfer the user, via line 496 back to operation 476, toenter the parameter. The user will then proceed through the sameoperations 478-490 for this second combination as was performed for thefirst combination set point.

[0108] If the user does not wish to edit the second or next combinationalert set point in operation 494, the program will query the user as towhether there is another combination set point contemplated in operation498. An affirmative answer by the user will result in transfer back tooperation 492 where the program displays a next combination alert setpoint. This procedure will continue until the user answers no to thequery in operational block 498.

[0109] Once a negative response is entered at query block 498 controltransfers to operation 500, where the user is queried as to whether anew and unique combination of alert set points is desired. If a newcombination is requested the user is transferred, via line 502 back tooperation 476, to enter parameter one of the combination, and the usermay once again proceed through the steps to create a new combination setpoint pair. A negative response transfers the user, via line 428 in FIG.12A to operation 501 where the user is queried whether to configurespreader and plow control.

[0110] Note, it is envisioned that parameter multiples of other than twomay also be used by the system, thus a user may wish to entercombinations of three or more parameters that interact to give uniquealert set point combinations. In this case, an additional set ofoperational blocks would be inserted between operations 482 and 484.

[0111] Once the user has either configured or by-passed the sensorsystem configuration, the set-up menu proceeds to query the user inoperation 501 whether to configure a snow removal device such as theautomatic spreader and plow control system 501. Each automatic spreaderand plow configuration operational block will query the user as towhether a particular spreader or plow use should be enabled. Each querywill allow the user to enter a yes or no as to enablement. If the userwishes to by-pass the spreader and plow configuration blocks, a negativeanswer at block 501 will cause the program to proceed directly to thevehicle operational block 505, as is shown by line 504. See FIG. 12A.

[0112] However, should the user desire to edit the configuration of thespreader and plow, control transfers from block 501 to the series ofcontrol operations, as is shown in FIG. 12E. The spreader and plowconfiguration blocks may include, but are not limited to enabling liquidfluid pump control in operation 506, enabling the solid fluid conveyancedriver in operation 508, enabling the automatic spreader control systemin operation 510 and enabling the automatic plow control system inoperation 512. These spreader and plow uses and controls are describedin more detail in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,296 issued May 18, 1999 andentitled APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR SYNCHRONIZED APPLICATION OF ONE ORMORE MATERIALS TO A SURFACE FROM A VEHICLE AND CONTROL OF A VEHICLEMOUNTED VARIABLE POSITION SNOW REMOVAL DEVICE. Once the user completesthe spreader and plow configuration, program control transfers toautomatic system via operation block 505, line 514.

[0113] Automatic System Operation block 505 is shown in more detail inFIG. 13. Automatic system operation begins in operational block 516control then transfers to operation 518 where the system first polls allof the enabled and arrayed sensors, and then control transfers tooperation 520 where the data from each sensor is compared with thatsensor's set alert point. In the case where a combination of set pointshas been entered, the data collected from the combination of sensors iscompared with the combination of alert set points in operation 522.Control then transfers to operation 524 where, if the GPS receiver isenabled, the sensor data can also be compared with the vehicle's currentlocation, and/or read in conjunction with the GIS course information.Once all the sensor data has been collected and compared to the alertset points the vehicle sensor displays and alarms are updated inoperation 526. Finally, the user is queried in operation 528 as towhether the automatic spreader control should be enabled. The user maychoose to enable the automatic spreader control in operation 530 orexercise remote manual control over the spreader in operation 532.

[0114] The operation block 505 may be engaged automatically at discreteintervals during the operation of the vehicle, or may be engaged whenthe user determines a need to change or update the system during vehicleoperation. It is also envisioned that the automatic spreader operationsblock could be by-passed by a manual override signal block 534. Thisblock could be implemented by a manual override switch or button locatedon the dashboard of the vehicle. For example, this override control maybe a spring loaded switch designed to simply suspend operations whilethe vehicle is negotiating an obstacle such as a new construction zoneor other situation requiring direct operator input. The remote manualfunctioning of the system, indicated by operation 532, permits thesystem to continue to monitor all sensors and display information to theoperator without exerting actual automatic control of the materialdispensing apparatus and/or plow position. When the switch is released,automatic control resumes.

[0115] The present invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described above. Many changes, alternatives, variations,and equivalents to the various structures shown and described will beapparent to one skilled in the art. For example, there may be multiplecomputers and databases in various strategic locations linked togetherin order to implement an integrated monitoring and surface conditioningscheme. There may be a number of stationary weather monitoring sites aswell as a number of vehicle mounted monitoring systems coupled to thecomputers to provide updated road and weather conditions and facilitateprediction of needed conditioning materials. Accordingly, the presentinvention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodimentsillustrated but is intended to cover all such alternatives,modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit andbroad scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Allpatents, patent applications, and printed publications referred toherein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of controlling a material moving deviceconnected with a vehicle, the material moving device being capable ofmoving through a plurality of positions, the method comprising:receiving at least one geographic location signal; determining ageographic location of the vehicle as a function of the operation ofreceiving the at least one geographic location signal; and moving thematerial moving device to one of the plurality of positions as afunction of the geographic location of the vehicle.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the material moving device comprises at least one bladepivotally connected with the vehicle.
 3. The method of claim 2 whereinthe at least one blade is a front blade.
 4. The method of claim 2further comprising moving the at least one blade to one of the pluralityof positions as a function of the geographic location of the vehicle. 5.The method of claim 4 further comprising changing a height of the bladeas a function of the geographic location of the vehicle.
 6. The methodof claim 4 further comprising reorienting a discharge direction of theblade as a function of the geographic location of the vehicle.
 7. Themethod of claim 2 wherein the blade comprises a movable side dischargeblocking plate, and further comprising moving the side dischargeblocking plate as a function of the geographic location of the vehicle.8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one geographic locationsignal includes at least two geographic position signals.
 9. The methodof claim 1 wherein the material moving device is a road conditioningdevice.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the material moving device isa snow removal device.
 11. A method of determining a quantity of a roadconditioning material to deposit on a vehicle travel surface having atleast a first quantity of road conditioning material on the vehicletravel surface, the method comprising: directing a first signal towardthe vehicle travel surface; receiving a second signal from the vehicletravel surface, the second signal being a function of the first signal;and determining the first quantity of road conditioning material on thevehicle travel surface as a function of the second signal.
 12. Themethod of claim 11 further comprising: depositing a second quantity ofroad conditioning material on the vehicle travel surface as a functionof the operation of determining the first quantity of road conditioningmaterial on the vehicle travel surface as a function of the secondsignal.
 13. A method of determining a quantity of a road conditioningmaterial to deposit on a vehicle travel surface comprising: depositing afirst quantity of road conditioning material on the vehicle travelsurface; directing a first signal toward the vehicle travel surface;receiving a second signal from the vehicle travel surface, the secondsignal being a function of the first signal; and determining a remainingquantity of the first road conditioning material on the vehicle travelsurface as a function of the second signal.
 14. The method of claim 13further comprising: depositing a second quantity of road conditioningmaterial on the vehicle travel surface as a function of the operation ofdetermining a remaining quantity of the first road conditioning materialon the vehicle travel surface as a function of the second signal. 15.The method of claim 14 wherein the operation of depositing a secondquantity of road conditioning material on the vehicle travel surfaceoccurs after the operation of depositing a first quantity of roadconditioning material on the vehicle travel surface.
 16. The method ofclaim 13 further comprising transmitting the remaining quantity of thefirst road conditioning material.
 17. The method of claim 16 furthercomprising receiving a command to deposit a second quantity of roadconditioning material on the vehicle travel surface as a function of theoperation of transmitting.
 18. An apparatus for determining a quantityof a road conditioning material to deposit on a vehicle travel surfacecomprising: an electromagnetic radiation transmitter for transmitting afirst signal toward a material from the vehicle travel surface; anelectromagnetic radiation receiver adapted to receive a second signal,wherein the second signal is a function of an interaction between thefirst signal and the material from the vehicle travel surface; and atleast one processor connected to the electromagnetic radiation receiver,wherein the at least one processor is adapted to process the secondsignal and produce at least one output signal corresponding with thequantity of road conditioning material to deposit on the vehicle travelsurface.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the material is on thevehicle travel surface.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein thematerial from the vehicle travel surface comprises at least apreexisting quantity of road conditioning material.